Cong moves Lokayukta in power tender scam

Congress party filed a complaint before the Lokayukta against power minister Milind Naik and the state chief secretary, among others, for violating procedures and awarding two contracts worth over 300 crore to two private companies even though the Goa state works board had called for theTNN | August 27, 2016, 08:06 IST

PANAJI: Congress party filed a complaint before the Lokayukta against power minister Milind Naik and the state chief secretary, among others, for violating procedures and awarding two contracts worth over 300 crore to two private companies even though the Goa state works board had called for the contract to be terminated and re-tendered.

The complaint, filed on Friday at the Lokayukta office, at Altinho, sought an official inquiry in the tender process which favoured certain bidders by flouting norms, and the registration of an FIR against the accused.

The complaint states that the state electricity department floated a tender for electrical works in sub-transmission and HT and LT distribution network worth 156.51 crore and another tender for aerial bunched cables at an estimated cost of 142 crores, both of which were manipulated and awarded to favoured companies.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar alleged that Naik, along with three other government officials, were in the continuous habit of systematically rigging tenders, escalating prices, manipulating guidelines and siphoning of crores of rupees by forming a syndicate and tailor-making tenders to suit certain bidders. GPCC alleged that Naik awarded a contract to recable 11 KV high tension and low tension electricity lines to L&T, even though two other companies had submitted lower bids.

Kawthankar has also petitioned the Lokayukta to direct the state government to retender the two contracts and "to take criminal action against the respondents for the illegalities committed in the tender process and awarding the same to favoured parties by flouting the law and causing loss to public exchequer". The other respondents in the case are chief secretary R K Srivastava, finance secretary Daulat Hawaldar and chief engineer (electricity) Dipak Bhajekar.

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